The First United Methodist Church Cemetery located at 211 Porter Street, Center, Texas in Shelby County is one of the oldest cemeteries in Shelby County located in the Nancy Smith survey on land deeded by Judge M.W. Wheeler and Sam Samford “who deeded the land to his beloved church and burying ground for generations to come.” The First Methodist Episcopal Church South was organized during the early part of the year 1866 soon after the town of Center was established. The first church and Sam Samford Masonic Lodge #149 building was located on the North side of the cemetery. The top floor was used by the lodge and the ground floor was a meeting place for the church and Sunday School.
There are many historically significant Center and Shelby County citizens buried in the First United Methodist 
Church Cemetery, including Elkanah Samford, first Worshipful Master of the Sam Samford Masonic Lodge #149 and his wife, Davila Adaline Samford; Rev. James R. Burke, early Methodist minister; Shelby County Civil War veterans and wives; and R. L. Parker, considered the Father of Center, responsible for relocating the county seat from Shelbyville to Center. There are approximately 107 graves dating from 1861 to 1939. The earliest marked burial on this site is an infant in 1861 before the property was designated as a cemetery. The last burial was Pollie Brogden Amason in 1939. http://www.shelbycountytexashistory.net/Shelby/cem_pics/cem_methodistme.htm
In the late 1980s, the Runnels Chapel Sunday School class received a sizeable donation designated only to be used for cemetery ground improvements. At that time, Nell Polley and her committee diligently worked on the project. At the beginning, cemetery ground improvements included installing a black chain link fence surrounding the cemetery, planting azaleas, crepe myrtles, roses and other shrubs, outlining flower beds with border bricks and flagstone connecting walkways within the interior of the cemetery, installing a sprinkler system and placing several benches and tables. For many years, the cemetery project work was completed under guidance of Nell Polly and currently Suzanne Ihlo continues the care of the cemetery. In the fall of 2015, the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Shelby Beautiful Clean Committee presented a Community Beautification Award to the First United Methodist Church for their 
constant care and efforts for beautification to the community and being mindful to the preservation of the historical value of the cemetery. In July 2015, an application was submitted to the Texas Historical State Cemetery for a historical marker. Presently, the church is currently waiting for a reply.
The cemetery is owned by the First United Methodist Church and church Trustees of maintain the historical site.
~ Suzanne Ihlo, FUMC Historian
| Methodist Cemetery, M.E. |
Center, Shelby County, Texas
http://www.shelbycountytexashistory.net/Shelby/cem_pics/cem_methodistme.htm
Transcribed by Leonard Irish & Ray Jackson on April 24, 1999.
Methodist Cemetery is located in Downtown Center, Texas, behind the First Methodist Church, at 211 North Porter Street. The Cemetery is one of the oldest in the county and the most recent grave marking is Pollie Holt, 1939.
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
| Christina Amason | 10/23/1882 | 10/21/1897 | Dau of H. & Polly Amason |
| H. Amason | 12/23/1839 | 08/06/1907 | 1st Husb of Pollie Amason |
| Pollie Amason | 1862 | 1939 | From Shelby County Civil War -Wife Hiram Amason |
| Fannie Armstrong | 01/23/1862 | 09/21/1890 | Wife of W. B. Armstrong |
| Fannie Armstrong | 10/25/1893 | 11/25/1893 | Infant of William & Emma Armstrong |
| Obie H. Armstrong | 06/15/1889 | 10/24/1924 | |
| Infant Son of C.C. & Novie Barbe | 12/06/1900 | 12/06/1900 | |
| John Marion Bell | 01/13/1855 | 08/05/1890 | |
| Lela E. Bell | 1883 | 01/02/1888 | Dau of J. M. & Pinse Bell |
| A. W. Brown | 12/06/1876 | 05/24/1878 | |
| A. W. Brown | 03/29/1843 | 12/07/1881 | |
| Ella M. Brown | 01/28/1874 | 03/22/1882 | |
| Rev. J. R. Burk | 05/25/1821 | 08/11/1869 | |
| Infant Dau of S. & Kate Cannon | 10/12/1899 | 02/14/1900 | |
| Sexton W. Caraway | 05/24/1884 | 01/05/1899 | Son Mrs. E. F. Sanders |
| David Terrell Carnahan | 12/02/1876 | 03/31/1878 | Son of Mr. & Mrs. E. F. Carnahan |
| Bertie Cartwright | 04/10/1849 | 01/09/1899 | Wife of Matthew Cartwright |
| Matthew Cartwright | 05/14/1847 | 09/18/1921 | Marker also in Fairview Cemetery |
| A. R. Chandler | 05/30/1834 | 05/13/1913 | |
| Bishop Chandler | 08/04/1873 | 08/13/1913 | |
| Emma C. Chandler | 09/16/1843 | 03/18/1872 | Wife of A. R. Chandler |
| Jarrel B. Chandler | 12/30/1860 | 01/22/1861 | Son of A. R. & S. E. Chandler |
| Mary J. Chandler | 1805 | 06/01/1888 | |
| Sallie Chandler | 1847 | 10/21/1905 | Wife of A. R. Chandler |
| Walter Chandler | ? | 06/25/1827 | Son of A. R. & S. e. Chandler |
| D. M. Collins | 08/18/1847 | 04/12/1895 | |
| Ina F. Crawford | 11/16/1892 | 09/29/1894 | Dau of J. L. & Bobbie Crawford |
| M. M. Crawford | 02/22/1857 | 02/2/1890 | Wife of Joseph L. Crawford |
| Mac Crawford | 06/01/1883 | 02/22/1887 | Son of J. L. & M. M. Crawford |
| Bonneau Crouch | 11/14/11900 | 09/07/1901 | Son of W. B. & E. B. Crouch |
| Infant of R. F. M.W. Davis | ???? | ???? | |
| William Frederick Davis | 05/04/1882 | 07/30/1896 | |
| Clarence Druner | 01/04/1881 | 07/25/1881 | |
| Charles B. Duke | 03/05/1884 | 06/28/1884 | |
| Dr. William Jack Duke | 07/12/1836 | 11/05/1891 | From Shelby County Civil War |
| Mary R. Ellington | 09/04/1825 | 10/14/1881 | |
| Milton J. Ellington | 11/10/1822 | 07/22/1870 | |
| Ed Freeman | 10/02/1865 | 03/16/1902 | |
| Irene Freeman | 10/14/1872 | 01/14/1898 | |
| Lela L. Gilchrist | 03/08/1886 | 07/01/1887 | Dau of J.C. & N.E. Gilchrist |
| Twin Infant of J.C. &N.E. Gilchrist | 02/12/1885 | 02/16/1885 | |
| June Casey Harkness | 11/05/1855 | 09/28/1871 | |
| Infant Son of N. D. & Ellen Hathorn | 01/05/1893 | 01/05/1893 | |
| Noel D. Hathorn | 09/02/1852 | 12/01/1895 | |
| Annie E. Hicks | 01/17/1827 | 04/02/1893 | Wife of C. W. Hicks |
| C. W. Hicks | 12/31/1817 | 11/02/1904 | |
| Don Hicks | 10/17/1866 | 06/01/1898 | |
| Infant Sons of Don & Tempe Hicks | 10/27/1898 | 10/27/1898 | |
| Laurie Hicks | ???? | ???? | |
| Lawrence Hicks | 11/02/1889 | 10/18/1895 | |
| Lois Hicks | 04/01/1880 | 10/20/1880 | Dau of ????? |
| John Nelson Holt | ca 1820 | ca 1897 | From Shelby County in Civil War |
| Pollie Holt | 1860 | 1939 | |
| George Norris Hyams | 03/25/1899 | 07/20/1900 | |
| Robert Jenkins | 12/25/1860 | 07/30/1871 | |
| W. T. Jenkins | 07/06/1867 | ??/09/1880 | |
| Norfleet Jerrell | 04/05/1872 | 07/22/1872 | Son of P. H. & L. J. Jerrell |
| Alex Robertson Leslie | 06/03/1829 | 03/10/1882 | |
| Alden Leslie | Age 34 | 06/04/1905 | Twin of John Leslie |
| Hugh Leslie | 10/29/1857 | 04/07/1884 | |
| Martha Leslie | 11/27/1833 | 10/27/1911 | Wife of A. R. Leslie |
| Mattie F. Lester | 12/22/1876 | 05/20/1895 | Dau of W. J. & Euginie Lester |
| Wm. J. Lester | 04/19/1845 | 11/25/1899 | |
| J. M. Lucky | 01/22/1834 | 08/04/1892 | |
| Mattie E. Lucky | 04/08/1842 | 12/06/1889 | |
| Ole Martin | 04/25/1875 | 01/08/1876 | Son of T. J. & Sallie Martin |
| Dr. H. H. Maxwell | 02/14/1830 | 07/12/1898 | |
| Baby Myrna McKnight | 02/04/1899 | 01/15/1900 | Dau of Carl & Bettie McKnight |
| Patrick H. McLaughlin | 1828-Ireland | 05/??/1916 | From Shelby County Civil War |
| William & John McLaughlin | No Dates | Age 22 & Age 17 | Sons of P. H. & E. C. McLaughlin |
| Pearl Gladys Mills | 09/03/1892 | 03/03/1897 | Dau of J. W. & Ophelia Mills |
| Corine Oliver | 07/03/1870 | 01/25/1899 | Wife of J. C. Oliver |
| M. Fannie Oliver | 09/22/1847 | 10/01/1883 | Dau of Thomas & Martha Oliver |
| Martha A. Oliver | 10/16/1823 | 10/17/1880 | Wife of Thomas A. Oliver |
| Martha M. Oliver | 03/09/1860 | 09/11/1875 | Dau of John & Eliza Olive |
| Mattie Oliver | 07/28/1902 | 06/19/1904 | Dau of L. C. & Clifford Oliver |
| Ophelia M. Oliver | 09/20/1851 | 07/22/1892 | |
| Annie Owens | 12/03/1870 | 08/23/1878 | |
| R. L. Parker | 03/10/1830 | 05/10/1916 | |
| Edward Seymore Parker | 09/01/1900 | 10/25/1901 | Son of L. E. & Lizzie Parker |
| Matt C. Parker | 12/05/1861 | 02/01/1871 | Son of R. L. & Sallie Parker |
| Mrs. S. A. Parker | 04/30/1834 | 05/09/1887 | |
| Sallie A. Parker | 04/30/1834 | 05/09/1887 | Wife of R. L. Parker |
| Mary E. Mayfield Paxton | 07/25/1863 | 04/02/1879 | Wife of John J. Paxton |
| Jarrell M. Pleasant | 09/09/1887 | 10/18/1888 | |
| Lena Pearle Polley | 07/17/1889 | 02/26/1900 | Dau of Mr.& Mrs. J. T. Polley |
| Louis C. Rains | 03/06/1871 | 04/22/1899 | Son of G. B. & M.E. Rains |
| Arlie Francis Roberts | 02/29/18901 | 1890 | |
| Charlie Frances Roberts | 10/29/1880 | 11/11/1880 | Dau of C. F. & N. E. Roberts |
| Mrs. Sarah Rushing | 1830 | 1877 | |
| Davila Adaline Samford | 1829 | 01/11/1910 | |
| Elkanah Samford | 10/31/1808 | 07/30/1888 | |
| John N. M. Samford | 09/13/1851 | 11/26/1883 | Son of E. & Sarah Samford |
| Lavina J. Samford | 03/26/1850 | 01/03/1879 | Dau of W. A. & Sarah Samford |
| Mary Samford | 02/12/1846 | 09/20/1886 | Wife of T. C. Samford |
| Sallie L. Sanders | 02/05/1853 | 12/12/1877 | Dau of Robert & M. L. Sanders |
| James Sample Singletary | 09/29/1852 | 12/08/1896 | |
| James C. Soape | 02/11/1835 | 02/11/1900 | |
| Katie E. Soape | 04/15/1860 | 11/11/1872 | Dau of J.C. & S. C. Soape |
| Sarah Tippett Soape | 04/12/1832 | 11/29/1888 | Wife of J. C. Soape |
| Albert L. Stephens | 1837 | 1869 | |
| John C. Stephens | 1796 SC | ca 1883 | From Shelby County Civil War Wife Nancy |
| Lacy Nea Truitt | 11/20/1884 | Son of J. M. Truitt | |
| Elijah Webb | Marker Worn | ||
| Hallie Webb | 07/10/1886 | 12/30/1892 | Dau of Alfred & Belle Webb |
| Meridith B. Webb | 01/12/1879 | 09/20/1879 | Son of Alfred & Belle Webb |
| Rebecca Webb | 04/07/1828 | 08/27/1870 | Wife of Meridith Webb |
| Bobbie Wheeler | 01/22/1881 | 03/15/1884 | Son of E. B. & A. E. Wheeler |
